Prosecutors plan to bring felony charges against a man who was arrested last week near the home of former President Barack Obama. He was wanted for participating in the Capitol riot when he was taken into custody.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that prosecutors told a federal judge are looking into bringing felony charges against 37-year-old Taylor Taranto “as soon as possible.” CBS News also reported that a judge delayed the prosecution’s request to keep Taranto detained until trial Thursday.
“In back-to-back hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui grappled with the government’s request,” based on whether Taranto might be a flight risk, said the outlet.
Taranto was wanted on an arrest warrant for his alleged participation in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021 when he was arrested in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington D.C. June 29. Just hours before the arrest, former President Donald Trump posted Obama’s alleged address in that neighborhood on his Truth Social account.
Trump’s election fraud allegations have also been identified as a motive for some of the Capitol riot participants.
Taranto was in possession of guns and ammunition when he was arrested. According prosecution allegations cited by CBS, they day before he had threatened to blow up the vehicle at a government facility.
For the Capitol riot case, Taranto faces four misdemeanor charges. Although prosecutors did not specify what felony charges they would bring against him, a “defense attorney for Taranto said at a bond hearing that none of the contemplated charges privately discussed by prosecutors relate to purportedly threatening statements that the government alleged Taranto made regarding Obama, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) and a federal facility in suburban Maryland,” per The Washington Post.
Going forward, Faruqui expects pretrial officials in Taranto’s home state of Washington to get a plan in place for his pretrial release and custodianship. Taranto’s next court hearing is set for July 12.
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